


Things Left Unsaid

by pyrexprodigy



Series: Excalibur [2]
Category: Vocaloid
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gays Everywhere, Gen, Good Guy Gumo, Idols, Minor Character Death, Past Child Abuse, Rui has a blog, Unrequited Love, and yet it's still not enough, never enough gays, probably a tumblr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-12
Updated: 2015-08-04
Packaged: 2018-04-08 21:23:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4321245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pyrexprodigy/pseuds/pyrexprodigy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Piko's fresh out of high school with no plans, save for an incomplete one that he's not so sure about; tell Rin how he's felt about her for years. Provided her actual boyfriend doesn't get in the way. </p><p>-</p><p>Originally posted on Fanfiction.net from September 1, 2013 to October 15, 2013.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ooooooookay so.  
> I finished moving all of my one-shots over from my fanfiction account so I decided to tackle my multi-chapter fics. This one is VERY OLD and was written when I was a hell of a lot more of a weeb. If the author's notes from the original posted chapter have something to do with the chapter itself and don't just say something like "review pls!" I will also be adding those.
> 
> THIS IS NOT A REWRITTEN/EDITED VERSION OF THE STORY OF THE SAME TITLE FROM FFN. THIS IS A REPOST TO THIS SITE. NOTHING OF THE ORIGINAL VERSION HAS BEEN CHANGED, NOT EVEN TYPOS. MANY OF THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS FIC ARE OUTDATED; THEY ARE THINGS I THOUGHT WERE TRUE TWO YEARS AGO. IT'S LIKELY I NO LONGER AGREE WITH SOME OF THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS FIC.
> 
> You may now continue.

Piko sometimes feels as though he's spent most of his life in some sort of shadow. Sometimes it's because he just isn't good enough to be seen through the shadow of someone else. Sometimes he just doesn't want to be seen. Waiting and watching silently, ready to jump in but unable to make himself do just that. His life is on autopilot, it has been for years, and now he's simply along for the ride.

Piko knows he's a waste. It doesn't take a horribly abusive stepfather for him to understand this. While still in high school, he had made a point as being as utterly useless as possible. Sometimes it wasn't necessarily an act; he's never been very smart anyway. He's never been much of anything, really. And he would have been okay with accepting that. Being a failure wasn't quite as life-shattering as some people thought. But this was all before Rin Kagamine.

There's something about the squirrely older girl he just can't ignore. He's tried. God, how he's tried. But after three years, she's stuck fast and Piko knows he won't be getting over her, or getting rid of her, so easily.

He's lost friends over the years. Childhood friends, all but one, never hung around for long. Miku, his best friend since forever and a day, is actually the only friend he's kept. He could still count on both hand how many friends he's had, but now he can count on one hand how many he's got. But Rin's complicated the matter. To her they are friends. Saying "just" would pollute that. Piko values her friendship. He really does. He just wants something else, something different. It's hard to call her a friend when he knows very well he doesn't think of her as one.

It made it all the more complicated when Rin eventually got herself a boyfriend.

Megpoid Gumiya, nicknamed Gumo, a distant relation to Miku's friend Gumi, is everything he feels he isn't. The boy is very intelligent, fairly outgoing but not annoying about it, charming, and Rin's age. He shares Rin passion for college and plans to also get a medical degree. He's romantic and nothing less than gorgeous. And he genuinely likes Rin, no matter how much Piko wants to deny it. They've been dating a little over six months, as Rin likes to remind Piko. He knows how much she enjoys talking to him about everything, including ( _especially_ ) Gumo and can't bring himself to hate hearing her talk about his rival at all. Rin mentions how long their relationship has lasted every chance she gets to Piko, knowing he won't be annoyed. Well, he doesn't exactly show how annoyed he is, so of course she doesn't know he's annoyed.

As an added kick to the gut, Gumo seems to like Piko. The older boy knows how Piko feels about his girlfriend, yet clearly doesn't see it as any kind of threat. He also makes a point of being friendsly to him, even when Rin isn't looking. It bothers Piko so much he's made a point of avoiding Gumo as much as possible. He doesn't want to be Gumo's friend. He wants to hate him, to have a reason to hate him besides the fact that he's dating his long-term crush. Piko just can't think of any reason to hate him.

That might be the most painful part of this whole angst-ridden ordeal.

* * *

 

Piko is relieved he's finally found a place to live after (barely) graduating. His old house, with his mother and stepfather, can't be forgotten fast enough. His new apartment is small but comfortable and his roommate is agreeable. It's an added bonus that he knows his roommate and might even call him a friend. At least, he's a friend of a friend, and Piko knows that he can borrow money if the rent's too much for him. Kagene Rei comes from a fair bit of money and would probably lend him some just as a favor to Miku.

His room is still mostly boxed up. The summer heat makes it far too difficult to care about unpacking. Luckily, it's the weekend and he has two whole days to get out what he needs before heading out to work on Monday. It's all thanks to Miku's boyfriend that he has a job at all. Piko, never mind being young and having only the basic education that high school offered him, is a secretary at the workplace of Kagamine Leon, Len's workaholic (and very successful) father. He's making a decent amount of money considering he doesn't need it to pay for college. He never plans to go and having a steady job like his current one is doing nothing to convince him to go.

College is for the people who know what the hell they're doing, the ones who got amazing grades and remember the basics of algebra, which he certainly can't. People like Rin and Miku and Rei. And Gumo, he remembers with a shudder. It's hard to even think the name without feeling the slightest bit sick.

Rei's offered, despite his natural neutrality to everything in life, to help him unpack and move his furniture around, but Piko declined as politely as he could. He likes Rei, but the last thing he wants is to go anywhere near anyone after escaping his hellish house. The past few weeks since graduating have been horrible. Between complaints from his mother and getting smacked around a bit by his insanely huge and buff stepfather, it's a relief to be anywhere alone. Honestly, he was getting to the point where he'd move out whether he had a place to stay or not. Hearing constant complaints about his decision not to go to college from two unemployed assholes who considered themselves his parents was not something he needed in his life. So the silence was nice. That would be an upside to living with Rei. He is quiet. His girlfriend is quiet. Hell, his entire life makes a point of being quiet. Piko likes that about the boy. It's definitely a quality he could respect.

With a sigh, Piko finally yanks himself out of his spiraling thoughts and moves with disdain to the box labeled "Bed," which contains his pillows, sheets, and blankets. His bed, a new one as he left the old one at his mother's house, is pushed under the window in the corner, bare and yet unused. He has a feeling he'll be steadily unpacking for the rest of the week, but the bed is currently the most important thing. He needs to sleep. He likes to sleep. Plus, having his bed made will make him feel far more settled.

While he's in the middle of pulling the cases on his pillow, a soft knock echoes from his door (God, he loves it when people knock. His mom and stepfather never did) and he welcomes in Rei with a quick word. The raven-haired boy (he's gotten really tall lately. How is he still growing? Piko's still a freaking shrimp) enters quietly, only stepping inside a few inches to talk to Piko.

"Miku's arranged a trip out to eat. To celebrate you moving in. And graduating, I suppose, since she hasn't had a chance to do that," Rei announces.

Miku moved back from Germany around this time last year, much to everyone's excitement. In her years living in Europe, she'd changed a bit. She was happier, a bit more outgoing and confident. Piko thinks that she's finally forgiven herself for middle school and can't believe the difference it's made. She's still in a relationship with Len, which started around the time she left three years ago. They're a couple that fights more often than they don't, but everyone knows none of the fights are ever really serious. It's how the two have always bonded. Honestly, Piko's glad something has remained the same through the past few years.

Besides gaining confidence, it seems Miku's intelligence skyrocketed while in Germany. Maybe it was the differences in schools that helped, but something about the education over there had her soaking up knowledge like nobody's business. Besides learning German, she became quite adept at English. With three languages under her belt, there was no doubt someone would rush to hire her once she finally graduated from college.

Mikuo had moved back around the same time as his sister. Ever the loyal brother, he had waited for her to graduate and moved back with her, starting college a year late. The boy had put off his own reunion with his super-secret girlfriend (not even Miku had really known about her until their return) who was luckily still there after moving in from Korea. Piko had struck up an odd sort of friendship with Mikuo's girlfriend, while he didn't necessarily consider Mikuo a friend. SeeU was a sweet girl who seemed to think that had untapped potential beyond belief. Being unable to correct her, Piko accepted her quirks and decided she wouldn't be such a bad person to get friendly with.

Nothing much changed about his friendship with Miku. She was still his best friend. She made the most of it, too. No doubt she saw it as her duty to put together a little event to celebrate Piko's escape from his old house.

"Great. When?" Piko asks.

"She's coming around to drag you to her house now," Rei replies.

"Excellent. And you, I suppose?" Piko grins as Rei rolls his eyes.

"No doubt," is the response he receives.

Piko has a feeling he's going to enjoy whatever Miku has planned if Rei is forced to go.


	2. Chapter 2

It's getting a bit dark by the time Miku stops by and steals the two boys out of their apartment. Rei can't quite convince them that he actually minds and Piko doesn't bother feeling indignant about the whole thing. It's nice to have someone like Miku around to make you feel cared for, even if she's a bit much to handle occasionally.

The "celebration" is being held at Miku's own house, the one she grew up in throughout her childhood. Mikuo lived with her, though it was quite a large house for the two for them. Miku always made the excuse that she needs a large house for all the people she likes to have around and Piko can't deny her that. Miku's spent a long time feeling alone and seeing her around so many people with a genuine smile plastered to her face is nice.

"A few people will be trickling in," she informs them as the front door opens to let them in. She didn't even bother locking it, so Piko has a feeling other people are already there. He's right. In the living room he's greeted by Mikuo, SeeU, Len, and Rui, Rei's little sister and an ex-girlfriend whom he gets along with surprisingly well. She used to have an insane older-brother complex that wouldn't allow Rei near anyone else. Somehow, Piko had managed to work her through it and they ended up dating for a total of two months before both decided to go their separate ways in the world of dating. Things are always a bit awkward when they see each other but since Rui is one of the few friends he can count on his fingers, he thinks it's worth working through.

"Hello!" SeeU greets with a catlike smile. Piko's always thought that smile fits her perfectly, especially since she has a quirk of adding cat ears to her ensemble of odd clothes. She has them tonight, the band hidden in her mass of fluffy blonde hair. Mikuo's really quite lucky to have a girlfriend like her.

"Yo," Piko replies with a mild wave. "You all got dragged here, too?"

Len, who gave up his habit of disguising as a girl for the night, smirks. "You make it sound like a bad thing."

"Whatever Miku did to convince you to come, I don't want to hear it," Piko tells Len sharply. The other boy's blue eyes light up and he opens his mouth to make some sort of horrible comment based on Piko's choice of words before Miku smacks the back of his head.

"You say anything and I will poison you," she threatens. Len quickly closes his mouth, though the sly look still on his face makes Piko very uncomfortable.

"It's great you've found a place to live," Rui tells him brightly. Despite her liking for the more gothic, dark realm of clothes and make-up (for example, she's currently wearing thick, black eyeliner, purple eyeshadow, a black corset over a fishnet shirt and an insanely short skirt over black leggings), Rui is a surprisingly cheerful person. It's an odd combination for people who are not familiar with Rui, though everyone who does know her has long since gotten used to it.

"Granted Rei doesn't kill him," Len adds smugly. "It's amazing how you think these two will manage to live together peacefully."

Rei rolls his eyes and lets the comment slide, though secretly Piko agrees. He's a mess in both his life and his room. Rei's far more orderly. Everything about his place reeks of "neat freak." Piko's never been that way. Though on the other hand, they're both a bit more on the quiet side, so neither will complain about noise.

"Luka's heading over here, too. Hope you don't mind," Miku breaks in to tell Piko. "Probably bringing Lily."

Piko raises an eyebrow skeptically. "Is this celebration of me getting a place to live an excuse to invite a ton of people over and include alcohol?"

Miku smirks. "No alcohol. Len's manager got mad the last time he drank."

"I didn't even do anything embarrassing!" Len whines quietly as Mikuo snorts in amusement.

"Nor will you," Miku replies evenly. She's stayed standing, even though a seat is readily available next to Len. That's just the sort of couple they are, Piko supposes. He and Rei are also still standing, next to Miku and have yet to feel the need to move from the doorway. That is, until the bell rings.

"Excellent! It's either pizza or someone we know!" Miku exclaims brightly. "Either way, it's important!" With that, the teal-haired girl squeezes between the taller males hanging around in the doorway of the living room and positively prances away to answer the front door.

"This is totally an excuse to get a ton of people together and act like idiots," Piko decided under his breath, low enough that only Rei hears. The boy offers up an unwilling smirk and rubs the back of his neck a bit awkwardly.

"I don't think anyone we know needs an excuse to act like an idiot," Rei mutters in reply, though people can hear him. "Especially a certain blonde boy whose got his feet up on the coffee table."

Mikuo snorts again and SeeU gives him a disapproving look. Len releasing a noise of pure indignation and folds his arms across his chest.

"So that's how it's going to be tonight," Len replies. "Let the insults fly!"

Piko allows himself the pleasure of an eye-roll. Both Rei and Len are quite good at insulting one another. Rei is always rather quiet and subtle about it, while Len goes in for obvious yet devastating blows. It's amusing for pretty much everyone, though.

Miku once again enters the room, teal pigtails trailing behind her delicately. She has grown her hair out again, going for a record length somewhere below her knees. Piko can't imagine how irritating and difficult it is to take care of. Honestly, he doesn't really want to know, either. He's fine with his hair the way it is. Subconsciously, his hand traces through his pale hair, the thought that he might even need a haircut registering faintly before Miku's other guests follow her in. Rin Kagamine appears, followed by her boyfriend (Piko feels his eye twitch in annoyance when he follows Rin in) and Luka, who has Lily connected by her elbow, arm in arm and staying as close to each other as they can. Apparently, Luka and have actually been in a secret, slightly on-and-off relationship since Lily started high school, right at the same time Miku did. Piko doesn't know the details but he'd guess that Lily's parents weren't too fond of the idea of their little girl dating a high school girl two years older than her while in middle school  _or_  high school. They hadn't really announced their partnership until a little after Lily graduated (and was eighteen), when no one could really protest reasonably about their relationship. Piko thinks it was actually a pretty smart plan. He had been only a grade behind Lily in high school, often interacting with her through Miku and her friends who shared many classes with her, and not once had he suspected that the two girls might've been together. He'd never manage to pull something like that off. He liked a certain amount of public affection that a secret relationship wouldn't allow.

"Hello, Piko!" Rin greets. Piko offers her a smile, relieved that his time of blushing and stuttering around her ended long ago. Not as long ago as he would've liked, but at least it was in the past.

"Hello, Rin, Luka, Lily, Gumo," Piko does his best to say the name without contempt and personally he thinks he does an amazing job of being civil. At least, no eyebrows are raised.

"Yo," Lily replies. "Good to see you, shrimp." In her heels, Lily's a good two inches taller than him, something he really doesn't appreciate. She is fairly tall without them. Why does she need those damn shoes, anyway?

"I'm sure," he tells her dryly.

"Play nice," Luka instructs her girlfriend, shooting the blonde a look of annoyance. Lily smirks and pats Luka's arm.

"Anything for you, sweetie," she says in the most sickly sweet voice Piko's ever heard. Luka is obviously used to the way Lily generally acts because all she responds with is an eye roll.

"What's the plan, then?" Rin asks Miku in a pretty solid attempt to redirect the conversation.

"Well, Gumi still might be stopping by, as well as Teto. Kaito, probably not," Miku replies. Miku's friendship with Kaito had been rebuilt over the years. He had been dating Teto when she came back. The two had, to Piko's knowledge, taken a break for a few months but were currently trying it out again. Neru, Miku's other friend from high school and Len and Rin's cousin, is somewhere in Africa at the moment, providing clean water or something for a little village in the south. It's only been mentioned in passing, so Piko genuinely has no idea what Neru's up to.

"Gumi can't make it," Rei speaks up. "She's with Teto at the movies." How he knows this when the two haven't had contact since eight that morning is anyone's guess. Maybe they're the sort of couple that shares all their daily plans with one another. It wouldn't surprise anyone. Much.

"Alrighty, then," Miku seems to decide something internally . "Go wild. I'll go get some sodas while we wait for the pizza. Just don't go into my room. Or Mikuo's. Aside from that, you pretty much have free reign of the house." Looking directly at Lily, she says, "Do not stain the furniture, do not set anything on fire, and do not start up a karaoke session." Lily and Luka giggle lightly and Piko feels the need to know the story behind that warning. Someday, he'll ask Miku about it.

"Excellent!" Len says. "So that only applies to Lily, right?"

Miku gives him her best death glare as people begin to split up into groups. SeeU and Rui manage to snag him as Mikuo picks up a conversation with Gumo. Piko's a bit relieved to see Rin follow Miku to the kitchen, probably to set some food out for all of them.

"So, Piko, how's it been since graduation?" SeeU asks. "Been having fun?"

Rui snorts. "Fun? Around my brother? Unlikely."

The two girls have seated him out on the back deck, where a nice summer breeze serves them far better than the AC inside. The backyard is admittedly small but very well kept. The back deck is large, though, large enough to fit everyone in the house plus some others. There's a grill that Miku uses on birthdays and two circular metal wicker tables, five chairs around each. Off to the side, a bench sits along the house. The door leading outside is sliding glass and clean as can be, reflecting the lowering sun in it. It's always been a comfortable place for Piko. Since the Hatsune siblings have moved back in, they've changed the whole house quite a bit. It's far more suited for company now. In fact, they rarely lock the back door anymore, save for at night, giving their friends an opportunity to visit. It's their base of operations for the entire group.

"It's been relaxing," Piko tells them. "It's nice." No one save for Miku and Mikuo ever really knew what it was like at his old house. Not many people even knew about the abuse. Rui did. SeeU did. Len did. That was about all. Sometimes, people would guess, though he got in so many fights in high school that giving that as an excuse usually worked. Sometimes he wondered why he ever tried to hide it. He had never been especially scared of his stepfather and he most certainly wanted both his mother and his stepfather to face some kind of punishment. But Piko stopped thinking about it soon after he graduated. It doesn't matter much to him why as long as he never has to be around those two again.

"I bet. So much freedom," Rui sighs. "I'm too lazy to find a place yet." While Rui was actually a year or so younger than him, she had skipped a grade and graduated early, right at the same time as Piko. While she was still a teen, she had made the decision to continue living with her parents. They had a nice house, after all.

"Not that much freedom," Piko replies.

"But some, right?" Rui asks. From what he can tell, her parents have always been a bit overprotective of her. Maybe that's why she has such an outrageous fashion sense. It's her little way of rebelling.

"Yeah. But it's more a matter of 'I can choose my own bedtime' then 'I never get a bedtime,'" Piko explains. "I don't think I'm quite ready for that much responsibility."

SeeU smiles fondly while Rui giggles lightly. It's still a bit strange to hang around so many girls. Miku's never really been a girl in his mind, not the way SeeU and Rui and Rin are. Miku's a close friend, someone who transcends gender boundaries. It just doesn't matter that she's a girl, whereas he still gets a bit nervous around other girls. Not so much Rui and SeeU, but still noticeably so.

"You'll settle in soon enough," SeeU reassures him. "Especially with a roommate. It's a bit odd to suddenly be on your own after eighteen years of being with your parents."

SeeU was probably used to it when she graduated. She came over as a foreign exchange student and somehow managed to convince her parents to let her stay. She had the money, so she got to. The point is, she had been alone over here in Japan at the start of high school. Her host family let her go after their designated year and she started living alone at fifteen. Or was it sixteen? Her age had always confused Piko. He knows she's older than Mikuo, who's twenty, but he's never found out how much older.

"It's a good thing Rei's quiet," Piko says.

"That's the one thing he's got going for him," Rui agrees in amusement.


	3. Chapter 3

The pizza arrives fifteen minutes later, hot and ready to eat. Everyone gathers in the living room to fill paper plates with the flavors they desire. Piko picks up a slice of cheese and a slice of pepperoni, as well as a can of Sprite, and settles into the kitchen. Everyone's pretty spread out. Some in the living room, some in the kitchen/dining room, and some on the back deck. Rin, Gumo, and Lily join him. Piko has no doubt that Luka will show up as soon as her conversation with Miku ends.

"Congratulations, Piko," Rin tells him brightly. "I haven't really told you properly."

"That's alright," he says.

"It must be a relief to be free from high school," Lily adds. "And don't worry about not going to college. I don't plan on going, either."

"Don't let anyone bother you about it, either!" Rin exclaims fiercely. "You do what you want."

Piko can't help but smile. To hear approval from her makes his heart soar. It's as though he's done the right thing, that the universe approves. It's a bit silly, putting so much into the word of a single college girl who doesn't hold much sway in the grand scheme of things, but as she said, he can do what he wants. Besides, he can't really control what makes him feel better about himself, can he?

"Excellent advice," Lily agrees.

"Thanks," Rin replies with a grin. Gumo sighs and tugs a strand of her hair. Piko feels a creature inside him rise and growl protectively. He instantly squashes the momentary rebellion and focuses on his pizza.

"That isn't how the world works, Rin. Honestly, you must be stuck in a fairy tale," Gumo teases lightly. "College is one thing. You should be able to choose whether you go or not. But doing whatever you want doesn't usually work."

"I can dream," Rin's smile turns into a pout.

Gumo laughs a bit at her expression. "That you can," he agrees.

Piko feels a bit sick, but he's managed to be around the happy couple for over six months now, so one evening shouldn't be too hard to accomplish.

"You two make me nauseous," Lily complains.

"It's not like we enjoy seeing you and Luka hanging all over each other all the time," Gumo replies evenly.

"We do  _not_  hang all over each other," Lily mutters as she tears viciously into her second slice of pizza. Piko quells a smile and glances away from the indignant blonde.

"You do a bit," he agrees quietly for fear of retribution. Lily growls in response.

"They are an  _adorable_  couple," Rin tells the two boys in a scolding tone. "I thought boys liked seeing girls make out."

"We aren't going there," Piko states forcefully. Gumo laughs and Lily brightens up a bit. Rin accepts that and happily focuses back on her food. It isn't long before Len bursts into the room with a board game and tries to drag them back to the living room.

"Monopoly, people! You can't simply miss a game of Monopoly!" the blond boy exclaims, tugging on the back of Piko's shirt with his free hand.

"That game has ended in murder more than once," Piko replies. "True fact. I think I like it in here."

Len rolls his eyes. "Suit yourself. Anyone else up for a game?"

"Definitely," Lily agrees.

"Count me in!" Rin proclaims. "It's been years since I played this game."

"There's a reason for that," Len replies. "I like having my limbs intact."

So Rin was a violent Monopoly player. Go figure.

"Go on. I'm still hungry," Gumo gestures to the two slices of pizza left on his plate. Piko can't believe how much he can eat. Hasn't he already eaten three pieces?

And before Piko can change his mind, because it's better violent, homicidal monopoly than an awkward silence with Gumo in the room, Len and the two blonde girls disappear into the next room, leaving Piko thinking up good excuses to get him out of the kitchen. All of them are fairly obvious, so he remains silent as he finishes off his can of Sprite, hoping to whatever deity may be listening that Gumo will not try to start a conversation.

No one seems to be listening to Piko lately, especially the deities.

"It's been a while. How are you?" Gumo asks politely. It infuriates Piko that the other boy is the mature one; after all, he's never once acted jealous or rude about Piko's relationship with Rin. This makes him feel as though he has even less of a chance with Rin. Does the girl talk about him at all? Does she even pay him any mind once he's left the room? The thought that he doesn't matter enough to be thought of while not there hurts. It's almost terrifying; as though he'll be forgotten instead of simply not mentioned. He doesn't care if Rin never acknowledges his feelings for her. If she were to forget or ignore him, Piko might as well cease to exist.

It might be a bit dramatic to say so. But his life feels as though it's been centered on her for the past few years.

"Managing," he replies finally. "I like my job."

"With Rin's dad, right?" Gumo clarifies. "He's kind of an ass. Well, as long as you're making some decent money."

Piko nods roughly. He is a bit of an ass. Always sharing his opinion, as though no one else is entitled to one. But he seems fond of Piko, which he supposes is both a good and a bad thing.

"And how's living with Rei?" Gumo asks.

"I just moved in," Piko shrugs loosely. Whatever anyone else accuses him of, he knows he's been making an effort to get along with Gumo. It's annoying and Piko wants to be sick at the thought of the other boy, but he's really tried. "He's quiet," Piko adds, "which is nice."

Gumo offers up a smile. "I bet. The two of you seem like you could be good friends."

See, this is another thing Piko finds annoying about Gumo. He acts as though the two are friends, as though they have been for a while. He probably doesn't know anything about Piko. Maybe just the bare minimum. But still. That doesn't qualify as "knowing him."

"Maybe," Piko agrees unwillingly. He's thought the same thing. Now he wishes he hadn't. Or that Gumo hadn't said it aloud.

It's blissfully silent afterwards. Piko finishes eating and tosses his plate in the trash, leaving the room and heading into the living room where a heated game of Monopoly is going on. Len and Rin are shooting each other death glares and Miku is in the lead, followed by Luka and Lily, who are on a team. Rui can't be bother to pay any attention and is focused on her cell phone. Piko figures the safest thing to do is join Rui on the couch and darts behind Luka to sit next to the dark-haired girl.

"Hello," Rui greets, barely glancing up from her phone.

"Hey. What are you doing?" he asks.

Rui smirks. "Updating my blog."

"Of course." According to Rui (and Rei's confirmed this), she's fairly popular online. She's been into photography for a while and hires herself out to photograph cosplayers and models and anyone else who wants her business. The photos end up on her blog and people seem to like her. Piko's seen some of her stuff. He doesn't understand what makes a good photographer, but she seems good. "How many people have you got following you now?"

"A little over three thousand," Rui answers. Piko can't even imagine that many people. His high school had a little over one thousand people. So three times that would be about what Ruis talking about.

"That's insane," Piko decides and Rui smirks in response.

"I still want to add some of my photos of you and Len. Everyone loves cross-dressers. And you're eyes," Rui does her version of a swoon. "You do realize one blue eye and one green eye is pretty rare."

"Yes. But I don't want to be online," Piko replies.

"Explains why you refuse to get a Facebook," Rui adds.

"I refuse to get a Facebook because all the people I want to contact live within walking distance," Piko replies in a deadpan. "Social networking is idiotic."

Rui sighs. "Honestly, you're just so anti-social. It's a wonder you have so many friends."

"Knowing people and having friends are two different things," Piko tells her. "Miku's a friend. You're a friend. SeeU and Len are sort of friends. Rin's my friend. Everyone else is sort of an acquaintance."

"You seem pretty chummy with Gumo," Rui replies. The thought sends a chill up Piko's spine.

"You're delusional. In fact, maybe you should go home and lie down. Do you have a fever?"

Rui gives him an amazing tongue-in-cheek, irritated stare. Her black-rimmed golden eyes stand out like flames against her complexion. This look sends a different sort of chill up Piko's spine, though he can't exactly describe it.

"You're determined to hate him," her voice has dropped to a volume barely above a whisper. "He's a lovely person and it's not his fault-"

"I know," Piko cuts her off. "But I need someone to hate and I'm getting rather tired of hating myself."

So the subject was dropped. Rui didn't bring it up for the rest of the night and Piko was able to enjoy himself. For the most part.

But when he finally left, he felt as though his heart was caving in.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original Author's Note:
> 
> I personally do not enjoy this chapter. It's a bit scattered. As is the next. Though I do like the last chapter quite a bit. I suppose that will give you something to look forward to.

Piko awakens two days later to the sound of his insanely obnoxious ringtone blaring two feet from his head. He had forgotten Miku changed it to an irritatingly upbeat pop song that makes him feel like shoving a spike through his ears. He has a raging headache from a fair bit of alcohol last night and is kicking himself mentally for getting so hammered as he picks up the phone to answer the call.

"Hello?" he greets groggily, not even bothering to read the contact name. Even if he had, the number would not be familiar as he had never wanted to save it to his phone, anyway.

"Hello. You sound like hell," comes the reply and it takes Piko a full seven seconds of silence to recognize the voice.

"Oh. Hey, Gumo," Piko's voice falls to a more sullen note. "Why are you calling so early?"

"It's at least ten," a rather amused reply sounds from the speakers. "Did I wake you up?"

"No, I'm talking to you in my sleep," Piko mutters. "What do you want?" It's all he can do to keep from burying his head under his pillows. God, his head hurts.

"I was thinking I'd invite you out. But you don't really sound up to it," Gumo sounds worried himself. No doubt he doesn't really think someone as young as Piko should be getting drunk, no matter what day it is. "Isn't today your day off?"

"Why do you think I let myself drink so much yesterday?" Piko groans. It may be his imagination, but he swears he hears Gumo laughing.

"Because you're an idiot," it's a fond response, which is odd. Doesn't Gumo know Piko hates him?

"Probably," he admits.

"Why don't I call you tomorrow? We can hang out after you get off work," Gumo says.

Piko's brain still hasn't woken up yet, it seems, because he goes on to say, "Sure, yeah. Bye." It's only when he wakes up a few hours later that he realizes what he agreed to. But calling up to explain would be a rude thing to do.  _I can spend a few hours with him,_  Piko decides.  _If anything, I can test my patience. Or how well I can hide a body._

That last thought makes him snicker to himself as he eats a sandwich he made for a late lunch and Rei shoots him a concerned look.

* * *

 

The next day, Gumo calls up again, more around six and well after Piko has woken up. With a sigh and a groan (it's more of a mix between the two), Piko answers the call.

"Well, I guess you're awake, then. How about that." Gumo is teasing, Piko is completely sure of it. He'd be more annoyed if he wasn't marveling at the other's stupidity. He's really quite blind if he can't recognize barely-concealed hatred.

"Amazing," Piko agrees half-heartedly. "What do you want?"

"Right to the chase. Alright," Gumo replies. "Why don' we go out and do something? Just the two of us?"

"Are you asking me on a date?" Piko asks. "Because one, I think you have a girlfriend, and two, I like girls. Sorry."

Gumo laughs. "Well, I guess I could've phrased that better. No, we'd just be hanging out as friends, idiot. Like you said, I have a girlfriend."

"Why?"

"Because you happen to be friends with my girlfriend and I don't actually have friends."

 _Fair enough._  "How do you not have friends?"

"I guess I'm just too perfect for them," Gumo laughs but Piko swears it's filled with discomfort and pain. No doubt Gumo has a story of his own to share. Everyone Piko knows has a messed up past. That doesn't mean he's at all interested in what Gumo's kept hidden from them.

"Right. Keep telling yourself that," Piko mutters. "Fine, then. Did you actually have something planned?"

"You like music?" Piko can hear the grin in his voice and hopes to whoever might be listening that whatever Gumo's got planned doesn't end in humiliation or pain. Then again, Gumo is significantly more responsible (and boring) than Piko, so he figures he's safe.

As it happens, Gumo invites Piko to a bar where a local band is playing. The music is decent enough; a little less wild than his preferred style (though his secret poison is Mozart, if you can believe it) and the temptation to get a bit tipsy is almost overwhelming, but compared to the horror show he had playing in his head earlier, it all goes fairly well. He manages to get along with Gumo for the next few hours and ends up having a pleasant conversation with an insanely scary-looking punk-rocker. She's really attractive though, he decides, and continues to talk (and flirt a fair bit) for a while before Piko figures he'd better get home and go to bed.

All in all, he enjoys himself. So maybe, maybe, he'll find it in his heart to let Gumo alone and focus on other things.

Maybe he should ask the rocker chick out. She was a pleasant person, despite her terrifying demeanor. After all, he's gotten nowhere with Rin and he wouldn't for a while; not while she has Gumo.

Of course, Gumo just has to press his luck and ask Piko to hang out once again. They return to the bar again, where Piko meets up with Sonika the punk-rocker with spiked green hair and has another nice night. Gumo smiles and laughs and also seems to enjoy himself.

Soon enough, it's become a regular thing, and Piko can't help but feel that his hatred for Gumo had ebbed significantly. While he no longer wants to throw the other boy off a bridge, he probably wouldn't push his out of the way of an oncoming car. Unless Rin happened to be with them at the time. To Piko, this is a change worthy of recognition. He tells Rui, who seems impressed, as she herself knows firsthand of Piko's stubbornness and general dislike of pretty much any other human being (save for those few people previously mentioned).

She brings up an interesting point, though. What motives does Gumo have? Is he eliminating a threat or creating a friendship? It's hard to tell, especially since Piko himself doesn't quite know which he expects anymore. Gumo doesn't seem the type to have hidden motives, but it just doesn't feel right to think that all Gumo wants is to be friends. What are they, ten?

This regular thing of theirs ends up getting him a girlfriend for the first time since Rui, almost two and a half years ago. Sonika's nice enough, with a brilliant, whip-sharp wit and an interesting sense of humor. Plus, she's gorgeous. Maybe Piko just has a type. Rui looks a bit scary, too.

And it's good, for a while. He gets along with Gumo. Eventually, he even enjoys his company.

That is, until everything goes to hell.


	5. Chapter 5

He's just said good-bye to Sonika, who became his ex just last week. He couldn't find it in himself to break off their friendship, though, and adds another ex-girlfriend to the ranks of people he can stand. If this is going to become a thing, Piko isn't too sure he'll ever make a relationship last.

But he's glad Sonika enjoys being friends, too. Her house, which is where he's walking home from, is comfortable, and her roommates like him well enough. It's just another failure to add to a long list that seems to be getting far too long to manage anymore.

But before he even makes it halfway to his apartment, his phone buzzes in his pocket and he answers as soon as he sees Rin's name on the screen.

"Hello?" he asks. There's no answer, save for heavy breathing. "Rin, is that you?"

"Yeah," she replies, though it's weak and pained.

"Did something happen?" Piko feels his own voice become urgent. It's late and he's ready to get home, but if Rin's called him knowing he has work in the morning, it must be something important. "Rin, talk to me."

"It's… I… can you come over? Please," she sniffs on the other end of the line and Piko knows she's been crying. It's heartbreaking to hear and Piko can't imagine seeing such a thing.

"Yeah. Yeah, sure. Give me ten minutes," he replies. He's at least twenty-five minutes away, but he knows he can make it.

* * *

 

Ten minutes and thirty-eight seconds later, Piko is knocking on the door of the Kagamine household. He's been here quite a few times in the last few years and knows it well. Their mother had passed away some time ago, not long before Len's graduation, and Piko had found himself consoling both Kagamine children in the place of their father. He couldn't cook or clean worth shit, but it was a good thing they could afford to pay someone to do that. Instead, he did the things Miku would've done; he watched movies with the pair. He played games, both electronical and otherwise. He was there. It was an event that brought him so much closer to Rin and gave him a far better look into the lives of the Kagamines. It was probably a huge part of why their father thought so highly of him. God knows why else the man would.

Rin answers the door. Her face is tinted red, her eyes puffy and bloodshot. It's all slight and barely noticeable, but Piko notices everything that has to do with Rin.

"Hey," he greets as she moves in to hug him. She's shorter than him, just short enough for his chin to rest on the top of her bent head. It's nice to have her so close, but the wet spot spreading over his shoulder as she begins to cry again reminds him of why he's there.

"What happened?" he asks after pulling apart. His fingers trace the tears on her face to wipe them away. Her skin is hot to the touch.

"Gumo and I broke up," she tells him softly around her tears. She pulls him inside before continuing, closing the door and allowing him to lead her to the living room.

"That's… really sudden," he says, mildly confused and more than a bit angry. He had thought, up 'til now, that things were going great for the couple. Gumo hadn't mentioned anything. After all, Piko had reluctantly become something like a friend to the other boy. Wouldn't he have mentioned something to Piko if things were turning sour with Rin?

"Not really," Rin manages to say. "I expected it. After he told me his ex was moving back soon. He talked about her a lot." This is enough to reduce her to tears again. "He was just… so nice. It was the first relationship I had ever been in." She falls back against him and Piko has to lean into the couch. It's so strange, comforting his long-term crush after her break-up. But he has no intention to do anything. Not until he's sure she's fine. Because Rin will be fine, no matter how long it takes.

"It was silly to think my first relationship would last," Rin sobs in his chest. "Statistically-"

"Statistics don't matter," Piko interrupts, running his hand carefully through her short, blond hair. Her usual hairband (sometimes hairbow) has been abandon and her hair is a bit of a mess. "You really like him. It's natural to… to think about being together forever. It's hard to imagine being apart." It almost makes him choke to say that. God forbid she stayed with Gumo forever.

"Y-yeah," she replies softly. Rin has curled up against him, head resting on his chest as his arms encircle her protectively. "It hurts."

"I know," he tells her. "It always hurts." He has had girlfriends in the past, after all. He also knows what it's like to be rejected by someone you love. It's the feeling that bloomed up when Rin first told him she had a boyfriend.

 _Don't be so damned selfish,_  he orders himself. _You make sure Rin's going to be okay and you leave her alone. She's not ready for any sort of confession._

And she really wasn't. After ten minutes of silence, she had worn herself out completely and Piko figured she'd fall asleep soon. After a while, she had relaxed with her head in his lap and was close to nodding off. Subconsciously, he had started stroking her hair some time ago and figures she didn't mind since she has yet to say anything. Soon enough, she does drift off, and Piko does his best to get up without waking her.

He sighs and heads off to the kitchen. He's glad no one's home as he pulls out a beer from the fridge. Just before opening it, he decides against the alcohol and makes a pot of coffee. It's getting late and the sun set before he even walked over here, but damn anyone who says he can't have some coffee. Piko's stressed and tired, but doubts he'll be able to sleep and resorts to inhaling three cups of black coffee before yanking a blanket out of one of the linen closets upstairs and throwing it over Rin. He's glad she's fallen asleep. No doubt she will still be a mess upon awaking, but a few hours of sleep should do her good.

Piko turns to reading (a pastime he rarely enjoys) one of the many books on the shelves in the living room to pass the time. It was one he had read before and thus does not have to focus especially hard, nor does he have to worry about finishing it. Rin will probably wake up after a bit of a nap and he'll have to be able to focus back on her.

This is the correct assumption to make, he discovers. Not two hours later (and eleven chapters in. He prefers to read slowly), Rin wakes up with bleary, bloodshot eyes. It's hard to tell, but Piko thinks she probably feels a bit better.

"You okay?" he asks in a soft voice, moving to sit beside her on the couch as she sits up limply.

"Better," she confirms. "Headache."

It's unlike Rin to use such simple words and sentences. She's quite a chatterbox most of the time. It hurts Piko to see her like this. It's almost as though he's been personally wounded.

"How about you go to bed?" Piko suggests. "I'll bring you some tea and pain meds for the headache. We'll watch a bad movie. Or you can go back to sleep." Rin, being the rich girl she is, has a bed equal to four of his own. It can fit six different people without them even bumping elbows. Besides that, she also has a large TV in her room where she spends time watching anime and other TV shows and positively abysmal movies. Piko really doesn't understand her taste in entertainment.

Rin smiles sleepily. "Okay," she agreed. "Thanks, Piko."

"No problem," he accepts. "Go on. I'll make the tea."

Rin nods and stands, her blanket hanging off her shoulders and her hands gripping the cloth gently. She is still in jeans and a blouse, which Piko can't imagine was comfortable. Hopefully she'll think to change before he gets to her room.

Piko does as he said he would. The tea is placed on a tray (two mugs, one with sugar and one without), accompanied by the chocolate chip cookies Piko knows Rin made the day before. Chocolate can fix any sort of problem, especially the emotional sort.

Piko makes sure to knock and wait for a response. Inside, Rin's buried in pillows and blankets. In fact, she's made a bit of a fort, huddled under a mass of soft, cuddly stuffed animals. Piko smirks. It's a very Rin-like thing to do.

"There you go," he offers out the tray to Rin, whose head is just visible poking out of her fort.

"Okay," she says. "Come on. You promised bad movies."

Rin's version of a bad movie is a '90s horror movie that can't even be considered bad. "Atrocious" is a far more accurate description. But she relaxes a bit and Piko tucks himself into the fort with her, sipping tea and stealing crumbs off her cookie in a teasing way. She doesn't seem to mind, though; in fact, Piko sees her smile as he chomps down on the cookie that had been in her hand a moment before.

And eventually, Rin falls asleep again. It's somewhere into the third movie (the title of which has escaped Piko's mind), and Piko gets up as quietly as possible, turns off the television, and sneaks out of the room to the guest room down the hall. He's tired and doesn't want weird questions to arise if he's found sleeping in Rin's room. So he tucks himself under the blankets and eventually dozes off.


	6. Chapter 6

Piko wakes up the next morning around eight. He'll have to call into work and say he can't make it. No doubt Rin's father will understand. Besides, he never really takes sick days and is late once in a blue moon. He'll be okay, he decides.

He rises and stretches. Piko still has the clothes he wore yesterday on. He probably could have snuck into Len's closet last night to borrow something, but he isn't exactly interested in the crossdresser's closet. Though admittedly the boy has been wearing girls' clothes less and less lately. He looks less feminine now that he's grown up a bit. Still, whenever he's out with Miku or on his own, he tends to stick to his disguise. None of the idol's fans know he's still dating Miku. They think the relationship ended while she was still in Germany, much to the relief of the couple.

Piko sighs and shakes the thoughts of the odd pairing from his mind. Their strange ways will never cease to confuse him.

Piko ends up in the kitchen, where Len and Rin both sit at the table, Len with coffee, and Rin with tea. The girl half of the Kagamine spawn smiles at him warmly, yet tiredly. Her eyes are still bloodshot and the bags under her eyes have darkened, but he's glad she managed to drag herself downstairs.

"Yo," Len greets simply.

"Hey," Piko replies.

"Breakfast?" Len asks. He's the only one in the house with any cooking talent. Piko can probably use the microwave and that about it. Same goes for Rin, though she seems to be able to bake without burning the house down.

"Whatever you're having," Piko says.

"Alright. I've got a meeting with some company about becoming a spokesperson, so I'll be gone in another hour," Len tells them. What, like they've got something to do without him there?

"Nice to know," Piko mutters as he slides into a seat at the table, setting his head on the table top. The wood is cool in the early morning air. Len gets up just as he sits and heads to the fridge.

Rin pats the back of his head gently. "Poor thing," she says a bit teasingly. "You must be tired."

"Damn straight," he agrees. "How do you feel?"

Her smile turns a bit sour, though it remains on her face. "Tired. Sad. A bit angry. But better. Thanks."

All to be expected, of course.

"Hey, Piko," Rin begins, leaning in a bit closer. "I don't really know how to approach this, so I'll head into it the best I can. Gumo told me you like me."

Piko freezes in the act of sliding her cup over to himself for a sip of tea. The first thing he thinks to do is to act angry, to deny it completely. But if she's the one asking, she's probably ready to talk about it. He won't lie, his heart feels like stone and his stomach is twisting into knots, but this is typical whenever the subject of Gumo arises. So Piko swallows his fear of rejection and replies.

"Yeah," he says. "I do. But it's not important."

Rin looks shocked. "But it is!" she insists. "You've always thought you aren't good enough for anyone and I made you feel like second best!"

"That's not true," Piko replies, completely forgetting that Len is so close. "I'm your friend. Friends aren't second best."

Rin looks on the verge of tears again. "I should've realized," she says, a hint of anger in her voice. Anger at herself, Piko suspects, though that's ridiculous. She can't be expected to know things like that, especially when he's tried so hard to make sure she doesn't.

"It's fine," he tells her quickly.

"It's not."

"To me, it is."

Rin looks at him then. Really looks at him. Examines his entire face, focuses on his weird, mismatched eyes, settles on them and reads him like a particularly confusing book.

"Piko," she says, "You're an amazing person. I think you're an amazing person. But… just not yet, okay? I need some time. Relationships are odd like that."

Is she saying what it sounds like she's saying? Piko swallows and ignores the clatter in the kitchen. Rin has reached out and taken his hand in her own.

"Because I really like Gumo still, and that won't go away. And it won't be fair to you, either," Rin tells him in a gentle, quiet voice. "So wait a bit longer?"

Piko knows he can wait.

"Of course," he says.

And that's that.

* * *

 

Not three days later, after Rin's settled down a bit, Piko finds himself out with Rui, who's been kind enough to spend a bit of her extra time with him. They're at a mall, for some unknown reason, and Piko's waiting for her to get the hell out of the changing room. It's the first day he hasn't really been around Rin, who still isn't taking the breakup grandly. Miku replaced Piko for a while and took her swimming. Not that he minded being around Rin, but seeing her in a state of constant depression was starting to wear on him.

"Damn it, Rui," he growls, checking his watch. It was a present from Len, of all people, at Piko's graduation. It's a nice watch; not too showy but quite sturdy. Piko can't even imagine the price tag and doesn't really want to.

He rubs his forehead as a headache begins to set in. Shopping with Rui is never much of an enjoyable experience, but he decided that he deserves a bit if a treat. He has some money saved up and his own clothes could do with replacing. So, yeah, he came along, despite foreknowledge of this odd form of torture.

His inner grumbling is interrupted by none other than Gumo, believe it or not. For some unexplainable reason, the universe decided to place them together, even though Piko isn't exactly fond of the other boy at the moment. Admittedly, they are probably still going to be friends, what with Gumo's persistence and Piko's genuine like for the boy, despite recent events.

"Hello, Piko!" the green-haired boy greets with a smile. He is also alone for the moment, though he looks like he's waiting.

Piko swallows rude comments that are admittedly the epitome of childishness and replies as best he can. "Hey, Gumo."

"Who are you waiting for?" Gumo asks.

"Rui. She managed to drag me out with her," he sighs. The conversation is easy to ease into, as though Gumo's forgotten he just broke up with Piko's good friend. The boy certainly is strange.

"That sucks." Even Gumo knows what a nightmare Rui can be sometimes. He's heard from the others (mainly Piko and Rei) how her shopping trips usually end up. "Work today?"

"Boss gave me the day off," Piko says. Apparently, it was "the least the man could do in return, seeing as you've helped my daughter through tough times recently." He didn't mind, though it seemed a bit excessive.

"That's great!" Gumo replies. "The guy's pretty cool sometimes."

"Yeah," Piko agrees vaguely.

"So," Gumo's face gets a bit pensive at this, "how's Rin?"

He's been expecting this question and answers evenly. "Better. She went swimming with Miku."

Gumo looks a bit relieved. "That's great," he states. "That's really great. Because, well, I still like her, but I just… I didn't see a relationship working out in the long run. Besides-"

"Your ex?" Piko interrupts. Gumo nods.

"Yeah. He was in Canada, believe it or not. God's knows why we broke up in the first place," Gumo says. Piko swears he hears the word "he," but ignores it. None of his business, even if it does turn out Gumo's, well…

…Got a boyfriend.

"Actually, here he comes now," Gumo waves to someone approaching from behind Piko and the silver-haired boy turns to see a person very similar to a male version of Luka. Though his eyes are quite different. Piko can't decide if they're golden or yellow.

"Hello!" the boy greets. He's tall. Damn tall. Probably six foot at least. It bugs Piko that he always seems to run into tall people. Why can't anyone be shorter than him, damn it!

"Piko, Yuuma. Yuuma, Piko," Gumo introduces.

"Cool eyes," Yuuma offers as greeting. The two don't look like a couple. They stand closer, but don't hang all over each other, not like Luka and Lily or Rei and Gumi. So they're more of a Miku and Len couple, then.

Piko realizes he has some weird classifications when it comes to couples and decides to stop thinking.

"Um, thank?" he replies. People don't usually comment on his strange physical appearance. Maybe they think is a sore topic. He's glad someone doesn't follow the same train of thought.

"What are you out for today?" Yuuma continues the conversation with ease. Piko minds less than he thought possible.

"Shopping. My stupid ex convinced me to leave the house," he says and is surprised to feel a stinging pain in the back of his head where Rui has thrown her shoe. Luckily, it's a flat, so no extensive damage is done.

"What were you saying?" she asks sweetly, offering out a hand to take the shoe Piko's now holding.

"That you are a psychopath," he mutters as he hands over the shoe.

"For that, you owe me a drink tonight," she tells him. "Hello, Gumo!"

"Hello, Rui."

"Shopping?" she asks, letting her bags sit on the floor. She really is lazy. Then again, Piko would probably do the same.

"Yeah. Yuuma here left most of his stuff overseas. He gets a whole new wardrobe now," Gumo explains.

"Sadly, Gumo has no taste, so I'm doing everything myself," Yuuma adds.

"I see nothing wrong with jeans every day," Gumo replies evenly.

Yuuma shakes his head. "He simply doesn't understand," the pink-haired boy sighs.

"That's Piko, too," Rui agrees. "I can picture exactly what to put him in but he'll never agree."

"I don't want skinny jeans," Piko retorts. "Nor am I interested in crossdressing. You already have Len."

"Who does not want to be an online sensation," Rui concludes.

Yuuma grins. "You are a girl I think I can talk to. See you around?"

"Oh, yes. Definitely," Rui agrees and smirks. As the two older boys depart, Rui turns to Piko.

"They're dating, right?" she asks.

"Yep," Piko confirms.

"Oh. Pity." And with a sigh, the raven-haired girl drags Piko to the next store.

* * *

 

It really is a while before things get comfortable again. Their group doesn't feel like shaking Gumo, but thankfully the boy knows that he should probably keep his distance for a while yet. It's a few months before they properly gather again, this time joined by Yuuma, who takes a shine to Rui. It's even longer before Rin holds herself to what she said.

One day, just as spring is turning to summer and rain has given up soaking everything is can, Piko finds himself in the Kagamine household. It's Gumi's birthday, so of course everyone has to celebrate. The guest list is extensive an includes, but is not limited to: Rei, Rui, Akita Neru, Kasane Teto, Miku, Len, Rin, Luka, Lily, Gumo, Kaito and his kid sister (who, for some unknown reason, thinks the world of Gumi), Aoki Lapis (Kaito's girlfriend), Aria and Yukari (Len's high school friends who get along well with Gumi), Haku (Neru's crush and denied girlfriend whom she met through Len), Gumo, Yuuma, SeeU, Mikuo, and Piko as well. It's a good thing that the Kagamines have a big house.

Piko finds himself in the kitchen, helping Len cook. Gumi's too shy to properly request anything so Len's making homemade pizza. Piko's job is to hand out drinks and keep Rui out of the alcohol. This was Rei's request, as the girl would never listen to her brother but might (pretty big 'might,' if you ask Piko) listen to him.

Miku takes up his job for a while as she doesn't mind spending time with Len. Besides, Rui's otherwise occupied trying to flirt with someone. Piko isn't one bit surprised that she's bugging Kaito's little sister, who is only a year younger than them, even though he knows Rui isn't actually interested in girls at all. She just likes being unpredictable.

Rin finds him on the back patio. The Kagamines have a large expanse of land, considering they still technically live in the city. There's a nice amount of space out back and it's relatively well cared for. Piko likes the backyard. No one's there, either. No matter how big the house is, Piko can't get used to the crowd of people.

"Hey," Rin says as she sits down, pulling her wicker chair next to him. With crossed legs, she leans her head back and stares at a fresh blue sky, eyes mirroring the color strongly, though not perfectly.

"Hello," Piko greets in response. "It's chaos in there."

"I guess. But Gumi's enjoying herself," Rin grins. Last he saw, Gumi was taking part in an epic game of Spoons and seemed to be having a lot of fun.

"Yeah," he agrees.

It's quite for a long stretch of time that's really only a few moments.

"Piko?" Rin begins.

"Yeah?" he says.

"Want to go out?"

"On a date?" he asks. She confirms with a nod. "Of course."

"That's good."

The silence infiltrates their conversation again and Rin is once again the one to break it.

"Want me to kiss you?"

Piko smiles a bright smile. "I thought you would never ask."

And so she does.


End file.
